Richard Thompson

Richard Thompson is one of the most acclaimed and influential guitarists and songwriters in the history of British folk and rock music. His memoir Beeswing takes its title from one of his most beloved songs and covers the pivotal years of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Thompson co-founded Fairport Convention, helped create the British folk-rock movement, and established himself as a songwriter and guitarist of extraordinary originality and depth. The memoir offers an intimate, richly detailed account of a transformative period in British music, from the vibrant London folk scene and the legendary sessions at Fairport's communal house to the devastating van crash that killed the band's drummer and Thompson's subsequent creative evolution. Thompson's prose style is thoughtful, witty, and refreshingly honest, avoiding the self-aggrandisement common in rock memoirs while conveying the genuine excitement and creative intensity of the era. He writes about music with the precision of a master craftsman, helping readers understand not just what happened but how and why the music was made. Beyond music, the memoir explores questions of identity, spirituality, and artistic purpose that have shaped Thompson's remarkably prolific career. Beeswing is available as an audiobook, with Thompson's own voice adding an extra dimension of authenticity and intimacy to a memoir that any lover of British music will find essential.